Draft report of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and
Technological Advice

on the work of its fourth session

Chairman: Tibor FARAGÓ
(Hungary)

CONTENTS

ParagraphsPage

I. OPENING OF THE SESSION xx xx

II. ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS xx xx

A. Adoption of the agenda xx xx

B. Election of officers other than the Chairman xx xx

C. Organization of the work of the session xx xx

D. Attendance xx xx

E. Documentation xx xx

GE.96-

ParagraphsPage

III. COOPERATION WITH THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL

PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE xx xx

IV. METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES xx xx

A. Longer-term programme of work xx xx

B. Possible revisions to the guidelines for the

preparation of communications by Parties included

in Annex I to the Convention xx xx

V. NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM PARTIES

INCLUDED IN ANNEX I TO THE CONVENTION xx xx

VI. ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED JOINTLY UNDER

THE PILOT PHASE xx xx

VII. DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGIES xx xx

VIII. REPORT ON THE SESSION xx xx

Annexes

I. Lists of attendance xx

II. Documents before the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and

Technological Advice at its fourth session xx

I. OPENING OF THE SESSION

(Agenda item 1)

1. The fourth session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and
Technological Advice (hereinafter referred to as "the SBSTA") was
held at Geneva from 16 to 18 December 1996.

2. The Chairman of the SBSTA, Mr. Tibor Faragó, opened the
session on 16 December 1996. He welcomed all delegates and observers
from non-parties, United Nations bodies and organizations, and
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. He noted the
need to work expeditiously, despite the substantial achievements of
the SBSTA and the Conference of the Parties (COP) at their previous
session.

3. The Chairman reported on the schedule of meetings of Convention
bodies as decided by the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties. The
fifth session of the SBSTA will be held from 25 to 28 February in
Bonn, with subsequent sessions to be organized within the following
periods:

Seventh session 28 July - 7 August 1997 Bonn

Eighth session 20 - 31 October 1997 Bonn

4. The Chairman informed the SBSTA that the Bureau of the COP had
also decided that there would no meetings of the subsidiary bodies
during or immediately preceding the third session of the
COP.

II. ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

(Agenda item 2)

A. Adoption of the agenda

(Agenda item 2 (a))

5. At its 1st meeting, on 16 December, the SBSTA adopted the
following agenda:

1. Opening of the session.

2. Organizational matters:

(a) Adoption of the agenda;

(b) Election of officers other than the Chairman;

(c) Organization of the work of the session.

3. Cooperation with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change.

4. Methodological issues:

(a) Longer-term programme of work;

(b) Possible revisions to the guidelines for the preparation of
communications by Parties included in Annex I to the
Convention.

5. National communications from Parties included in Annex I to the
Convention.

6. Activities implemented jointly under the pilot
phase.

7. Development and transfer of technologies.

8. Report on the session.

B. Election of officers other than the
Chairman

(Agenda item 2 (b))

6. At its 1st and 2nd meetings, on 16th December, the SBSTA
considered the item on election of officers other than the
Chairman.

7. At its 1st meeting, on 16 December, the Chairman provided an
oral report on the consultations on the election of the Vice-Chairmen
and Rapporteurs of the SBSTA, the Subsidiary Body for Implementation
(SBI) and the Ad Hoc Group on Article 13, carried out by the Chairman
of the Ad Hoc Group on the Berlin Mandate (AGBM) at the request of
the President of the Conference of the Parties, in which he indicated
that agreement had not yet been reached on the issue.

8. Statements were made by the representatives of seven Parties.
At its 2nd meeting, on 16 December, the SBSTA, in view of the
persisting lack of agreement, agreed to consider further the issue at
its next session.

C. Organization of the work of the
session

(Agenda item 2 (c))

9. At its 1st meeting, on 16 December, the Chairman recalled that
services would be available for one morning and one afternoon meeting
each day with interpretation from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m.
to 6 p.m. The SBSTA agreed to proceed on the basis of the proposed
schedule of work contained in document FCCC/SBSTA/1996/14, annex II,
with the addition, proposed by the Chairman following informal
consultations, that the item on activities implemented jointly under
the pilot phase be taken up also on the first day.

10. The Chairman recalled that the COP, at its second session, had
not been able to reach an agreement on the rules of procedure, and
that the President of the COP was continuing his consultations on
this issue. The SBSTA agreed to the Chairman's proposal to follow the
same arrangements as in previous sessions in using the draft rules of
procedure.

11. The SBSTA, at its third session, had requested the secretariat
to organize a round table on activities implemented jointly under the
pilot phase (AIJ) in conjunction with the fourth session of the SBSTA
to provide for the exchange of information and experience on ongoing
AIJ projects and programmes (see FCCC/SBSTA/1996/13, para. 38 (b)).
The round table on AIJ took place on Tuesday, 17 December
1996.

[to be completed]

D. Attendance

12. The lists of attendance at the fourth session of the SBSTA are
given in annex I below.

E. Documentation

13. The documents prepared for the fourth session of the SBSTA, as
well as other documents available for information, are listed in
annex II below.

III. COOPERATION WITH THE
INTERGOVERNMENTAL

PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE

(Agenda item 3)

1. Proceedings

14. At its ... meeting, on ... December, the SBSTA considered the
item on cooperation with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC). It had before it one document prepared by the
Convention secretariat, FCCC/SBSTA/1996/18 and Add.1. Copies of a
technical report, "Technologies, policies and measures for mitigating
climate change", prepared by the IPCC for the AGBM, and the
Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas
Inventories were made available by the secretariat of the IPCC,
for information purposes.

15. Statements were made by the representatives of ...
Parties.

[to be completed]

2. Conclusions

[to be completed]

IV. METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES

(Agenda item 4)

A. Longer-term programme of work

(Agenda item 4 (a))

[to be completed]

B. Possible revisions to the guidelines for the
preparation of communications

by Parties included in Annex I to the
Convention

(Agenda item 4 (b))

[to be completed]

V. NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM PARTIES

INCLUDED IN ANNEX I TO THE CONVENTION

(Agenda item 5)

[to be completed]

VI. ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED JOINTLY UNDER THE PILOT
PHASE

(Agenda item 6)

[to be completed]

VII. DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFER OF
TECHNOLOGIES

(Agenda item 7)

[to be completed]

VIII. REPORT ON THE SESSION

(Agenda item 8)

16. At its ... meeting, on ... December 1996, the Rapporteur
presented the draft report on the session (FCCC/SBSTA/1996/L.2). The
SBSTA considered and adopted the draft report. It also requested the
Chairman, with the assistance of the secretariat, to complete the
report taking into account the discussions that had taken place
during the session and the need for editorial
adjustments.

17. The Chairman, after thanking all participants for their
constructive cooperation, declared the fourth session of the SBSTA
closed.

Annex I

LISTS OF ATTENDANCE

[to be completed]

Annex II

DOCUMENTS BEFORE THE SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR
SCIENTIFIC

AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE AT ITS FOURTH
SESSION

The following documents were before the SBSTA at its fourth
session:

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/9/Add.1 Communications from Parties included in
Annex I to the Convention: guidelines, schedule and process for
consideration. Possible revisions to the guidelines for the
preparation of national communications by Parties included in Annex I
to the Convention: methodological issues

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/9/Add.2 Communications from Parties included in
Annex I to the Convention: guidelines, schedule and process for
consideration. Detailed information on electricity trade and
international bunker fuels

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/MISC.5/Add.1 Methodological issues. Comments from
a Party

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/L.2 Draft report of the Subsidiary Body for
Scientific and Technological Advice on the work of its fourth
session

The following documents were also available:

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/8 Report of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and
Technological Advice on the work of its second session, held at
Geneva from 27 February to 4 March 1996

FCCC/SBSTA/1996/13 Report of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific
and Technological Advice on the work of its third session, held at
Geneva from 9 to 16 July 1996

A/AC.237/NC/1 - 14 Executive summaries of communications

and from Parties included in Annex I to the

FCCC/NC/1 - 19 Convention

FCCC/IDR.1/(...) Reports on in-depth reviews of communications
from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention

FCCC/CP/1996/12 Commitments in Article 4. Second compilation and
synthesis of first national communications from Annex I Parties:
executive summary

FCCC/CP/1996/12/Add.1 Commitments in Article 4. Second compilation
and synthesis of first national communications from Annex I Parties:
report by the secretariat

FCCC/CP/1996/12/Add.2 Commitments in Article 4. Second compilation
and synthesis of first national communications from Annex I Parties:
tables of inventories of anthropogenic emissions and removals and
projections for 2000

FCCC/CP/1996/15 Report of the Conference of the Parties on its
second session, held at Geneva from 8 to 19 July 1996. Part One:
Proceedings

FCCC/CP/1996/15/Add.1 Report of the Conference of the Parties on
its second session, held at Geneva from 8 to 19 July 1996. Part Two:
Action taken by the Conference of the Parties at its second
session